Call of Duty Elite : DLC Impressions #3

The third dosage of Call of Elite introduces the Black Box map, a medium-sized suburban area at the epicentre of an aeroplane disaster.                                                                                                    
Although it may seem like the crash site is the focal point of the map, it's actually tucked away to one side and covers the vast majority of the right hand side of the map. This can make the left hand side of the map seem scarce, though it is dotted with a small handful of mutli-tiered houses that offer a variety of vantage points. Some houses have walls blown out, some houses have balconys, one house is even under partial construction. It gives each area it's own unique strategical angle and works well for the balance of the games.                                                                        
Naturally though, most of the action will gravitate towards the crash site and the aeroplane, which is heavily emphasised as a crux point in objective based modes.                                                          
The crash site isn't just for show though, and the internal remains act as a significant part of the level, with a surprising amount of room and density within. There are many corners and hiding places within the ruined aircraft and surrounding areas as debris is scattered around the wreck in order to add further dimensions to the gameplay.                                                                                           

The crash site is the focal point of Black Box, and offers great depth
to the map

It's the smaller details that really make this map fun to play on, even the wing of the plane acts as a point of leverage to the upper floor of a near-by house that has been demolished by the wreck and offers an alternative method of entry. The way every house offers different vantage points and levels of vulnerability keeps things unpredictable and you're always left guessing about where opponents could be camping.                                                                                                                    
My only criticism would be that it's a little bit too camper friendly. The map is quite big and it offers alot of opportunities for medium to long range weapons, and the shorter game somewhat suffers as a result, especially around the crash site where the housing estate looks down onto you.                                        
                     

Recommended Perks

The map is fairly large, so extreme conditioning will allow you get around quicker as you navigate the big opens areas which will often make you a target, so the quick getaways are essential.      
                          
Overkill is useful to be able to adapt to the long/medium range game if the lobby dictates that the run and gun style just isn't thriving, and Marksman will allow you to scope out long range targets given the very long range of sight between certain areas of the map.                                                        
The DLC seems to be getting stronger, and this is yet another solid map offering. 2 Spec Ops missions were also released at the same time, which come packed with 6 additional trophies, so that particular aspect will be reviewed in it's own post.